The present invention relates to camouflage materials for forming camouflage net systems, garments and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a camouflage composition that has a three-dimensional (3-D) appearance.
Camouflage materials have long been employed to conceal objects, personnel, and equipment in various terrains from visual detection. Generally, such camouflage materials for concealing objects and equipment are drapable two-dimensional sheets or net structures of varying size and shape, and are solid color or imprinted in multiple color patterns. For concealing personnel, such camouflage materials are formed into a plurality of different garments including, but not limited to: jackets, pullovers, parkas, coveralls, bibs, and pants.
In recent years, in an effort to enhance concealment, efforts have been directed toward adding a third dimension to such camouflage materials. To that end, two companion patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,931,320 and 5,013,375, both to Robert R. Leonard, are directed to a camouflage material (the ""320 patent) and to a method and apparatus for producing the material (the ""375 patent).
The aforementioned material is a camouflage construction having an open mesh net substrate, and a continuous sheet overlying the substrate and bonded thereto along plural spaced lines of attachment. The sheet is cut on opposite sides of the lines of attachment to form a plurality of lobes. The apparatus and method includes a sewing station for stitching the sheet along plural spaced lines of attachment to the substrate to form open-ended pockets for channels between the sheet and substrate. The cutting station spaces the sheet from the substrate and a heated cutting wire reciprocates between adjacent lines of stitches to cut the sheet and open the channel to form a series of loose lobes. A problem with such construction is that the lobes were cut from an essentially flat, two-dimensional material having a substantially flat set to the material. Notwithstanding the fact that the ends of the lobes were free, the lobes tended to lie flat against the substrate, thereby defeating the sought-for three-dimensional effect.
In an effort to remedy this, two additional patents have issued. Significantly, both of those patents utilize the material, apparatus, and method of the aforementioned ""320 and ""375 patents. The later patents are U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,451 to James R. Reynolds and U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,385 to Don M. Bylund et al. In the ""451 patent, a camouflage construction is formed having an open mesh net substrate, and a continuous sheet overlying the substrate and bonded thereto along plural spaced lines of attachment. The sheet is cut on opposite sides of the lines of attachment to form a plurality of lobes. The fabric is heated and the lobes folded and creased to increase the openness of the fabric.
The fabric of the ""385 patent is an open mesh, net substrate to which is bonded a sheet material. The sheet is colored in the desired pattern and bonded to the substrate along spaced lines of attachment. Separate lobes are formed on each side of the lines of stitching (attachment) to simulate the appearance of natural objects of the terrain. The lobes are then heated to over 400xc2x0 F. to wrinkle and de-luster the camouflage lobes to increase the three-dimensional effect and significantly decrease luster.
It is significant to note that, in all four of the aforementioned patents, the construction has an open mesh net substrate and a continuous sheet overlying the substrate and bonded thereto along plural spaced lines of attachment. The sheet is then cut on opposite sides of the lines of attachment to form a plurality of lobes.
Notwithstanding the efforts shown in the aforementioned four patents in forming a composition that has a three-dimensional effect, there is still a need in the industry for camouflaged fabric having a definite and naturally appearing three-dimensional effect.
The present invention substantially meets the aforementioned need of the industry. Definite three-dimensional camouflage effect is created without the need to heat, fold, or crease any of the material used to form the camouflage composition. The three-dimensional effect is created simply by the manner in which individual strips are cut and attached together. With the present invention a material having a three-dimensional camouflage effect is produced in a single layer, and without the need for any separate substrate or underlying base as required in each of the patents noted above.
The present invention may be characterized in one embodiment as a composite camouflage composition which comprises a plurality of camouflage members. A surface of each of the members is affixed to the same surface of another one of the plurality of members along a seam. The seam is spaced apart from the edge of each member and defines a portion of each member between the seam and the edge. The portion of each member between the seam and the edge is divided into a plurality of strips by a plurality of cuts which extend inwardly from the edge to proximate the seam. The present invention may be further characterized as a garment and as a method of forming the camouflage composition.